Second Warmest first half of December at Fairbanks

from my colleague Corey:

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1251 AM AKST FRI DEC 16 2011

...2ND WARMEST FIRST HALF OF DECEMBER ON RECORD AT FAIRBANKS...

THROUGH YESTERDAY THE 15TH THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE AT THE
FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS 14.1 DEGREES...WHICH WAS
17.9 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE. IT WAS THE 2ND WARMEST FIRST HALF OF
DECEMBER ON RECORD AT FAIRBANKS. ONLY 1934 WAS ANY WARMER...AND THIS
WAS DUE TO AN INCREDIBLE CHINOOK EARLY IN THE MONTH THAT SENT
TEMPERATURES INTO THE 50S ON 5 CONSECUTIVE DAYS...AND LED TO THE
ONLY CHRISTMAS ON RECORD WITH NO MEASURABLE SNOW ON THE GROUND AT
FAIRBANKS. IN 1934...TEMPERATURES TURNED SHARPLY COLDER THE
SECOND HALF OF THE MONTH...AND BY THE END OF MONTH IT DID NOT EVEN
END UP AS ONE OF THE TOP TEN COLDEST DECEMBERS ON RECORD. THE
WARMEST DECEMBER ON RECORD OCCURRED IN 1914 WITH AN AVERAGE
MONTHLY TEMPERATURE OF 10.2 DEGREES. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL FOR NEXT WEEK...INCREASING THE CHANCES THAT
THIS DECEMBER WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS ONE OF THE
WARMEST ON RECORD.

$$

CB DEC 11